Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo had an excellent afternoon as he helped his side see off Premier League strugglers Queens Park Rangers 2-0 away from home on Saturday.

The Red Devils travelled to a tricky Loftus Road hoping to put last weekend’s disappointing loss at home to Southampton behind them and consolidate their positon in the top four.

In spite of a few scary moments and a couple of Radamel Falcao fluffs, United pulled through in the second half thanks to goals from substitutes Marouane Fellaini and James Wilson.

Fellaini has been sorely missed in recent weeks and his return to action coincides with yet another United victory, but the real star of the show was Argentine international defender Rojo.

Tackles Won

Interceptions Won

Effective Clearances

Ball Recoveries

Touches

Accurate Passes

Mins Played

Marcos Rojo

4

3

11

8

91

48

90

As per the table provided by Opta Stats, the 2014 World Cup runner-up was influential throughout on his first start since the victory over Southampton in early December.

Over the 90 minutes, Rojo completed four tackles, three interceptions and a hugely impressive 11 effective clearances, his side’s second best behind Phil Jones.

Rojo has missed a number of matches through injury this season and was absent for United’s solid showing over the festive period.

Questions, however, persist over the perceived weakness in Louis van Gaal’s backline, but with Rojo in this kind of form the necessity to add a player in the mould of Mats Hummels might be over-exaggerated.

In possession, the 24-year-old proved that he was capable of leading the charge from the back as he took 91 touches and made 48 accurate passes.

If United are insistent on bringing in a new defender, it ought to be a player who possesses physical attributes and offers an alternative to the more skilled Rojo, such as Atletico Madrid’s Diego Godin.

The victory means that the Old Trafford outfit consolidate their place in the top four, three points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur and four clear of Arsenal, who play Manchester City on Sunday.

Tom Thorogood

I'm a 27 year old language teacher and writer based out in Mexico with a passion for football and swimming. I like to focus on the top European Leagues, especially La Liga, as well as the footballing development in Central and South America. My favourite teams include Derby County, Barcelona and Jagaures de Chiapas.